9 killed, 4 wounded in Afghanistan last week

KABUL (Pajhwok): Pakistani officials recently alleged Afghans were involved in rising insecurity in that country, but the Islamic Emirate has repeatedly denied such allegations,

The caretaker government says it does not want any country, especially its neighbours, to be insecure.

Major events:

• Mullah Baradar assures Turkish investors of suitable environment in Afghanistan
• Muttaqi discusses positive interaction between IEA and UN
• SIGAR claims IEA interfering in NGO work, govt denies
• Khalil Rahman Haqqani: Aid groups pocket 80pc of humanitarian assistance
• Pakistan COAS: Involvement of Afghans in terrorism obstacle to regional stability
• Mujahid: 18 Pakistani IS-K fighters killed in operations by IEA forces.
• Mullah Yaqoob: Fighting abroad is not jihad.
• Leaders of UN, OIC and Nangarhar elders stress girls’ access to education.

Casualities

Last week, nine people were killed and four others wounded in various incidents of violene across the country.

Unknonw gunmen killed a 21-year-old gilr in Takhar, a farmer in Parwan, a moneychanger in Kandahar, an 18-year boy in Daikundi and a man in Sar-i-Pul.

Security officials said unidentified assailants lobbed gernades into a house in Nangarhar, leaving two children dead and three others wounded.

Local officials say the body of a young man, who had gone missing seven months ago, was found in Uruzgan. Unknown men entered a house and stabbed one man to death and injured his wife in Takhar.

Note: These figures are based on reports reaching Pajhwok Afghan News. Some incidents may have gone unreported or sources could have provided incorrect figures.

In the previous week, 11 people had been killed and eight others injured in various incidents across the country.

Before the regime change in August 2021, hundreds of civilians, insurgents and security personnel would be killed and maimed every week.

Islamabad’s claim and Kabul’s response

Gen. Syed Asim Munir, Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff, once again accused Afghan citizens of being involved in terrorist incidents in that country.

“The involvement of Afghan nationals in terrorist incidents in Pakistan is detrimental to regional peace, stability and deviation from the Doha Peace Agreement by the interim Afghan government,” Munir said in a statement from the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR.

The interim government once again rejected Islamabad’s allegations that Afghanistan was involved the current wave of terrorism in the neighbouring country.

The caretaker administration made clear it did not back terror attacks and would not allow anyone to use Afghanistan’s soil against Pakistan.

Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said of Pakistani authorities had again blamed Afghans for insecurity there instead of securing their country.

In a statement, he said IEA emphatically rejectsed the allegations and reminded Pakistan that Afghanistan itself had just come out of prolonged conflict and did not want any country, especially its neighbours, to be insecure.

He reaffirmed Afghanistan’s stated position that it would not allow anyone to use Afghanistan’s territory against a third country. However, he explained, it did not mean Afghanistan was responsible for the security of any regional country.

Mujahid remarked: “Unfortunately, our region remained the victim of the US-led foreign invasion over the past two decades and wrong policies of some regional countries, whose effects are still being felt.”

The spokesman revealed 18 Pakistani IS-K fighters, who were in involved in explosions and other attacks, had been killed in operations by IEA forces in the past one year.

Dozens of other militants had been arrested in the country and evidence of their activities was available, Mujahid continued.

“Instead of blaming Pakistan for such activities, Afghanistan has tightened its security. Al-hamdu Lillah, we have seen positive outcomes,” he said.

Also, acting Minister of Defense Maulvi Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid said if someone from Afghanistan with the intention of waging jihad, this war was not considered jihad.

Also last week, some Pakistani media outlets reported the IEA leader had issued an order against attacks in Pakistan, but the caretaker government spokesman denied these reports.

Mujahid clarified Maulvi Hibatullah Akhundzada had not issued any decree on attacks in Pakistan. However, the Darul Ifta had issued a fatwa barring Afghans from going to war abroad without orders from the leader of the Islamic Emirate.

He explained based on the fatwa, sending people to war abroad should be in line with orders from the IEA leader.

“This is clearly a Sharia order issued by the Darul Ifta, not by Amirul Momineen (Islamic Emirate leader). The Darul Ifta has stated the mujahideen (Islamic Emirate’s troops) abroad for war is not jihad and that in such situations, the order of the Amir … is compulsory,” he maintained.

The acting Afghan ambassador in Islamabad met Pakistan’s religious leaders and scholars. Ambassador, Sardar Ahmad Shakib met Siraj-ul-Haq, the Jamaat-i-Islami central amir.

The two sides expressed their commitment to strengthening bilateral relations for peace and stability in the region.

In addition to achievements of the Islamic Emirate in the past two years, historical, religious and cultural ties between Pakistan and Afghanistan were discussed.

Mullah Baradar’s trip to Turkey

At the head of a delegation, deputy prime minister for economic affairs Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar on Tuesday left for Turkey to attend a conference and meet host officials.

Baradar met Nail Olpac, the head of Foreign Economic Relations Board of Turkey (DEiK), and other businessmen and Afghan entrepreneurs in Istanbul on trade-related issues and investment opportunities in Afghanistan.

Baradar assured Afghan and Turkish businessmen of improved security in Afghanistan, saying the ground had been paved for investments, according to the statement.

He said the Islamic Emirate supported businessmen and traders by providing them more facilities in areas of mining, agriculture, power generation, communications, trade and other sectors.

Cointinued positive interaction urged

Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and UNAMA head Roza Otunbayeva, discussed the “continuation of positive interaction” between the UN and the Islamic Emirate.

Muttaqi met said the government had created a suitable environment for transparent and independent distribution of international aid in the country.

Watch on aid

The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan’s Reconstruction (SIGAR) said Afghanistan’s central bank lacked independence from the caretaker government and adequate safeguards against money-laundering and terror financing.

In its quarterly report, the US watchdog told Congress the caretaker government’s interference in NGOs’ work had escalated, leading to a steady decline in humanitarian access in 2023, with a 32% increase in incidents between January and May 2023 as compared to the same period in 2022.

It says most recent publicly available data from BHA showed there were a total of 110 incidents related to IEA interference in April 2023 alone.

Senate Foreign Affairs Committee head Michael MacCaul called for greater monitoring of US assistance to Afghanistan.

But Mujahid said: “We strongly reject this claim. No interference from IEA in the work of NGOs and organisations; especially in their financial areas, is taking place. All organisations are working according to their procedures.”

“Just in case someone complains about lack of transparency in distribution or about security concerns, the Islamic Emirate cooperates with the institutions, but does not interfere in their affairs. We reject such reports,” Mujahid added.

Acting Refugee and Repatriation Minister Khalil Rahman Haqqani alleged aid organisations distributed only 20 percent of aid and pocketed the rest.

Haqqani said this at a meeting with UN humanitarian aid coordinator Daniel Andres, the Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation said in a statement on its social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.

Haqqani and Andres exchanged views on problems and the current situation of Afghan refugees in foreign countries and establishing coordination between Afghanistan and the United Nations.

He said: “Many aid organisations distribute only 20 percent of aid to people and pocket 80 percent of it.”

Acting Foreign Minister Maulvi Amir Khan Muttaqi says the government has created a suitable environment for transparent and independent distribution of international aid in the country.

Girls’ education

The caretaker government, which has suspended education for girls above the sixth grade, said the decision was not permanent and a solution would be sought within the framework of Sharia.

The Education Ministry had said whenever proper uniforms in line with Sharia and Afghan culture were designed and approved, the IEA leadership would allow the reopening of girls schools above class sixth.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo and Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Hissein Ibrahim Taha emphasised on the access of girls to education in Afghanistan.

In addition, UN Secretary General’s Special Adviser Leonardo Garnier said it was “vital” for the international community and the United Nations to maintain pressure on IEA due to restrictions on girls’ education.

Influential figures and university teachers in eastern Nangarhar province asked the interim government to allow women to pursue higher education and give government posts to all those eligible.

During a meeting with Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani, the elders said the nation should see itself in the government.

Haqqani told the elders that problems and shortcomings existed, but they would be addressed by working together with the nation with patience and courage.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in a report says about 118.5 million girls around the world are deprived of education.

sa/mud

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